Early Ultrasound-guided Nerve Block for Painful Hand Injuries in the Emergency Department

Hand and forearm pain secondary to fracture, laceration, dislocation, infection, and blast injury is a common issue in the emergency department (ED). Pain control is particularly important in these patients as they frequently require manipulation of their injured extremity for suturing, reduction, splinting, or abscess drainage. Pain management has traditionally centered on the use of parenteral narcotics. These medications can have significant side effects, especially in the elderly and those with comorbid diseases, and may not provide sufficient pain control in these cases, specifically in those with opioid tolerance or gruesome blast injuries. Regional nerve blocks have proven a useful tool in the management of extremity pain but have been traditionally limited to use by anesthesiologists in order to limit side effects such as intravascular infiltration and nerve damage. However, the use of direct visualization with ultrasound (US) can minimize these risks and emergency medicine (EM) physicians are using nerve blocks with increasing frequency. Recent emergency medicine literature has been promising with regard to the successful use of US-guided regional nerve blocks for finger reduction, upper extremity fractures, dislocations, abscess drainage, and hand blast injuries in the emergency department. In one case series, nerve blocks were used successfully in pediatric patients and studies measuring feasibility have found that these blocks can be done in less than ten minutes, and without significant complications. However, more studies are needed before these blocks become standard of care in all institutions. Studies that evaluate the use of other pain medications in the setting of these blocks would be particularly helpful.

Academic institutions are using US-guided nerve blocks with increasing frequency. In a recent publication 121 academic instructions provided information on usage of this technique. 84% of programs perform US-guided nerve blocks, most commonly forearm nerve blocks (ulnar, median, or radial nerves). Nerve block technique is taught via didactic sessions, online resources, and supervised training. However, most of the programs do not have specific agreements with other specialty services with regard to performing US-guided nerve blocks in the ED. One group has successfully created a multidisciplinary approach to treat blast injuries to the hand which includes EM physicians and surgeons. This team recognized the importance of surgical evaluation prior to nerve block in blast injuries to assess for risk of compartment syndrome. No cases of compartment syndrome were reported in this case series and pain control provided by the nerve block allowed the surgical team to evaluate the extent of injuries, irrigate the wound thoroughly, and employ temporizing measures such as sutures and splints while the patient waited for definitive management.

However, this aforementioned study was inherently limited in that it was a feasibility study. While promising, further work that establishes forearm blocks by ED physicians in the setting of severe hand injuries as safe and effective can guide us as to whether this mode of pain management should be standard of care. A major goal of this study will be to provide important data for emergency physicians when they consider whether or not to include these blocks into their practice.

To that end, the study investigators present a randomized controlled trial where patients with blast injuries will be randomized to standard-of-care versus early ultrasound-guided nerve block as an intervention. Measured outcomes will include pain scores, complications, and opioid use.